Variable-speed gearing.



F. WINKLER.

VARIABLE SPEED GEARING.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.3,1912.

Patented Nov. 26, 1912.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

Inventor Witnesses F. WINKLER.

VARIABLE SPEED GEAEING.

APPLIGATION FILED FEB.3,1912.

Patnted N0v..26, 1912.

mmss.

2 SHEBTSSHEET 2.

Inventor Witnesses m W W rnanz WINKLER, or scnwnmronr, enrnacrsrons-xoenr-taenawnnxn r disconnected from fixe UNITED STATESPATENT orricn MANY, A FIRM.

RMANY, ASSIGNOR TO SGHWEINFUETER HTEL & SACHS, 0F SCHWEINFURT, GER-VARIABLE-SPEED GEARING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 26, 1912.

Application filed February 3, 191 .2. v Serial No. 675,338.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, FRANZ WINKLER, a

subject of the King of Bavaria, residing at Schweinfurt, in

gearing which is adapted and ut-ilizable for.

various applications and'may especially be advantageously used inbicycles in connection with a'coasterbrake.

The Object of the'invention is to provide a variable speed gearing with.a range of three speeds which are obtained. by two sets of planetgearing embodied in the mechanism in such a manner that the differentspeeds can be produced without displacing any element of the gearingitself.

further object of the invention resides in a special clutch membercommon to both sets of planet gearings by whichthedriven member can bemade solid 'or direct in the normal operatiom'all parts, while with thedrive at the other speeds the train idle at Theseobje cts are attainedby the employment of two sets of planet gears, one of which is inconnection with an internally toothed rim, while both. are rotatablysupported by a power transmit-ting or receiving element of themechanism, the toothed rim being provided onthecounter-element- Afurther essential feature is the fact that the stepped planet-gears arein engagement with sun wheels guided between the driving and drivenmembers in a non-displ'aceable manner but free to rotate. Means are alsoprovided, whereby the sun wheels canbe connected in locked engagementwith one another or with fixed members of the construction, therebyenabling the entiredifleren-tial gearing to operate in the same mannerin either direction of rotation, this means being of a shiftingcharacter and controlled by suitable actuating devices arranged at anydistance, being so devised as to be entirely or partly freely rotatable,so that when rigidly locked, the gear is rotatable without otherfriction than that existing between the connecting means and the fixedshaft; on the other hand the sun wheel gear wheels. new and useful andtwo sun gear of the idle set is entirely disconnected from the fastparts, friction being minimized owing to the free movement of therespective In the accompanying drawings, which form apart of thisspecification, two constructional forms of a differential gearing withtwo sets of epicyclic gears embodying the invention are represented inorder to clearly illustrate the subject matter of the Invention.

Figure 1 represents a longitudinal section a differential gearing inaccordance with the invention as combined with a free wheel shows across-section of the'gearing, ta en 1 on the line A,B of Fig. 1. Fig. 3is 2. Ian

of the connecting means, wherein part ,0 the axle-shaft is shown uponwhich it is dis .placeable. Fig. {l is a longitudinal sectionalelevation of the second constructional ;similar to that in Fig. 1, andFi Zcross section taken on the line A B of cars being thereby Fig; 4. d2 ike numerals denote like out all figures of the drawing. the timebeing has its sun-wheel free to rotate, thereby reducing friction.

form, 5 1s a parts through- Referring to the construction shown in Figs.1, to 3, the, differential gearing comprises a suitable number ofstepped pinions 5 and 6 integral or rigidly connected with- ,oneanother, whose pivots 7 are secured in the driving member 8, an internaltoothed rim 10 rovided on the driven member 9 with which the largerplanet pinions 6 mesh,

wheels 12 and 13 of difierentdiameter mounted on the shaft 11 of theentire gearing and meshing with the planet pinions 5 and 6. Thechange-over device for obtaining various speeds comprises two clutchdisks 14 and 15 toothed at their opposite sides and arranged axiallydisplaceable but non-revoluble and able to engage with thecorrespondingly toothed adjacent ends of the respective sun gear wheels12 and 13, and a sleeve 16 having a toothed rim 17,,wh1'ch sleeve isguided between the disks 14 and 15 and free to rotate on the shaft,

clutch teeth 27 and 28, corresponding to the toothed rim 17 of thesleeve, being provided in the bores of the sun wheels 12 and 13respectively which wheels are located on the said sleeve. The shaft 11is hollow and has transverse slots 23 at two places through whicheotters coaster-brake located in a cycle-hub. Fi 2 18 and 19 pass whichalso extend through i the clutch disks 14 and 15 and hold themnonrevoluble, simultaneously positively connecting them with a rod 20which is axially displaceable in the bore of the shaft 11 and is underthe action of a spring 21. tending to pull it to the left in Fig. 1. Theother end fied, as its construction is of secondary im- .revolublycoupled with one another.

portance. Any suitable means may be attached to the chain 22 fortransmitting thereon a. pull exerted at a given distance from thedevice. Such means are well known and, therefore, not represented. Inthe example illustrated the planet gearing is represented connected withthe hub of a vehicle, but the differential. gearing which is the subjectmattermay be used for any desired purpose, for example withcountershafts or a lathe.

The described gearing operates as follows: When the chain 22 is pulledand the change-over device so adjusted that half of the toothed rim 17meshes with the inter-. nal teeth of each of the two sun gears 12 and 13(as shown in Fig. 1), the latter are m2- s the two steps 5 and 6 of'theplanet pinions whichare integral with one another cannot rotaterelatively to one another, the two sets of planet gears of thedifferential gearing are now rigidly connected together and with thedriving and driven members and the force of the driving member 8 istransmitted without change 0 angular velocity to the driven member 9.When the clutch device is then shifted still farther to the right, un-

til the sun gear wheel 13 is coupled with the non-revoluble clutch disk15, when the driving member 8 is rotated the pinions 6 rotate abouttheir pivots 7 and roll on the sun gear wheel 13 .and also on theinternally toothed rim 10 of the driven member 9 which consequentlyrevolves faster than the" driving member. Since the clutch sleeve 16 isrotatable on the shaft, the sun wheel 12 coupled therewith by the rim17, in this case which the sun gear wheel 12 is coupled with the clutchdisk 14 and fixed. non-revoluble,

the smaller step 5 of the planet pinions will roll on the larger sungear wheel 12, while the larger step 6 of the planet pinions in thiscase rotates the driven member owing to their engagement with thetoothed rim 10,

as described heretofore. The sun gear wheel 13 is coupled only with thesleeve 16 by the clutch 17 and can therefore freely rotate together withit. This connection gives the greatest speed of transmission. j

In'the construction according to Figs. 4 and 5 the arrangement issimilar but reversed as compared with 'thatin Figs. 1 to 3, the smallerste 5 of the planet pinions meshing with tlEe-in 10 which is provided onthedriving member 8, while the pivots 7 are mounted on the driven member9?. In .the change-over device the clutch disks above-named are omitted,and the sleeve '16, positivelyguided between the cotters 18- t and :19,is

besides the rim 17- provided with a secon'd toothed rim 24 which canengagetin the" end positions of the sleeve, with corresponding counterclutch members inthe form of internal toothed rims 14 and .15 providedon a member 25 fast on the shaft 11', Con-. sequently, the sleeve 16. iseither free to roternal toothed rim tate in the middlev position inwhich it is shown in Fig. 4 and. directly couples the two sun gearwheels 12' and- 13 with one another by means of the toothing 17 engageing in the internal teeth 271 and 28 of both sun gear wheels, or in itsend positions nonvrevolubly secures either the sun ear'wheel 12 by meansof theclutches 17 2 Q24 and 14 or the sun gear wheel 13-.by' means ofthe clutches 17 281,2 1 and 15. The dif ferential gearing of thisconstruction. operates as follows: When the two sun gear wheels 12" and13 are coupled together bythe toothed rim l7' (Fig. 4), no change ofspeed takes" place because no relative .rota- .tion can occur in thevgear, but the driving member 8' drives the driven member 9' at the samespeed, the sleeve 16 likewise rotating. The greatest speed is thenobtained. If the chain 22' and the rod 21" are pulled and the sleeve 16shiftedintoits right-hand end position, the toothed rim 24' meshes withthe toothed rim 14, so that the sleeve 16' is nonwevolubly fixed andalso the sun gear wheel 12 by thelatter through the medium of the clutchteeth 17' and 27'.

When the driving member 8 is rotated the engaged respectively, as beforethe pinions] 5 roll on the internal toothed rim 10' while the lar erplanet pinions 6 roll on the sun gear w eel 13'. The sungear wheel 12'is rpaaaee mined places and only a reversing mechanism requires to beaxially shifted in order to couple the sun gear wheels correspond' ingto the various requirements of the gear mg. At the normal speed thegears are com pletely free from fixed parts, while all the parts arerigidly and positively connected together, so that friction in thegearing is avoided as much as possible. Owing to the two sets beingfirmly connected together by the two steps of the planet pinions, itispossible, solely by means of coupling the sun gear wheels in variousways, to obtain the three different speeds of transmission with the aidof one single. common device and by using a few clutches.

Obviously, and as illustrated by two con-- structional forms, thedifi'erential gearingv 'may be varied in various ways without departingfrom the principle of my invention.

What I, therefore, broadly claim as my invention, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

1. In a variable speed gearing having two sets of planet gearing, thecombination with a driving member, of a driven member, one of whichcarries the planet-gear and the other provided with an internallytoothed rim, stepped planet gear wheels one step of which meshes with'the said toothed rim, separate sun gear wheels engaging with the planetgears, the said sun wheels being rotatable but not displaceable and aclutch mechanism adapted to couple the sun gear wheels with one anotheror separately with fixed parts of the gear mechanism. I

2. In a variable speed gearing having two sets of planet gearing, thecombination with 'a drivingmember, of a driven member,an

internally toothed rim provided on one of the members, stepped planetgear wheels in engagement with, and connecting the two members, separatesun gear wheels rotatably arranged I but not displaceable, and anaxially movable clutch device adapted either to couple the sun gearwheels with one another or to alternately fix one of them] againstrotation.

3. In a variable speed gearing having two sets of planet gearing, thecombination with a driving member, of a driven member,

stepped planet gear wheels in positive engagement with, and connectingthe two members, separate sungear' wheelsrotatably arranged but notdisplaceable, an'axiallymovable clutch device adapted-to couple the sungear wheels with one another or to alternately fix one of them againstrotation,

and means for, shifting the said clutch device.

7 and clutch devices 4 In a variable speed gearing having two sets ofplanet gearing, the combination with a driving member, of a drivenmember, an internally toothed rim provided upon one of the said members,pivots on the other of the said members, stepped planet gear wheels inpositive engagement .withthe drlvmg and driven members by the saidtoothed rim and pivots, separate sun gear wheels rotatably arranged butnot displaceable, and an axially movable connecting device adaptedeither to couple the sun gear wheelswithone another or to alternatelyfixone of them against rotation. I 5. In a variable speed gearing having anumber of sets of planet gearing, the combination with a driving member,of a driven.

member, stepped planet gear. wheels in positive engagement with, andconnecting the said two members, separate sun wheels rotatably arrangedbut not displaceable, a sleeve axially movable within the sun Wheels,provided on the sun wheelsand combined with the said sleeve, said.clutches being adapted either to couple the sun wheels with one anotheror to alternately fix one of them against rotation.

. 6. In a variable speed gearing'having two sets of planet gearing, thecombination with a driving member, of a driven member, stepped planetgear wheels in positive engagement with, and connecting the two members,separate sun gear wheels rotatably guided but not displaceable betweenthe said members, an axially movable connecting mechanism, clutchdevices arranged upon the sun wheels, and separate clutch devices provided upon the connecting mechanism which are adapted to couple the sunwheels with one another or to alternately fix one of them againstrotation. j

7. In a variable speed gearing having two sets of planet gearing, thecombination with driving and driven members, of stepped I planet gearwheels in positive engagement with said members, separate sun gearwheels rotatably guided but not displaceable, clutch teeth arrangedin'the bores of the sun wheels, and a connecting device axially movablewithin the sun wheels, said connecting device being provided with atoothed rim adapted to engage the clutch teeth of either or both sunwheels, and with a separate clutchcapable of alternately fixingone ofthe sun wheels against rotation.

8. In a variable speed gearing having a plurality of setsof planetgearing, the combination with a driving member, of a drivenmember,.stepped planet gear wheels in positive engagement with the saidmembers, separate sun gear wheels rotatably arranged but notdisplaceable, an axially movable clutch device adapted to couple the sungear.

shaft bearing the entire gearing and having a number of longitudinalslots, a rod axially displaceable within the shaft, and means connectedto the rod and projecting'through the said slots, so as to engage withthe clutch device. I

9. In a variable speed gearing having a number of sets of planetgearing, thecombination with a driving member, of a driven member,steppedplanet gear Wheels in positive engagement with the said members,separate sun wheels rotatably arranged but not displaccable, an axiallymovable connecting device having separate "clutches adapted to couplethe sun gear wheels with onenano'ther or to alternately fix one of themagainst rotation, and a fixed member of the gearing with which theclutches are engaged for securing the sun wheels against rotatlon. 10.In a variable speed gearing, the combination with a driving member, of adriven "member, stepped planet gear Wheels in engagement with, andconnecting the two members, separate sun gear wheels meshing with saidplanet gears, and a clutch mechanism adapted to couple the sun gearwheels with. one another or separately with fixed parts of the gearmechanism. v

11. In a variable speed gearing having two setsof planet gearing, thecombination with a driving'member, of a driven member,-stepped planetgear wheels in engage.- ment with, and connecting the two members,separate sun gear wheels rotatably arranged but not dis laceable, and anaxially movable clutch device adapted eithento couple the sun gearvwheels with one another or to alternately fix one of them againstrotation.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANZ WINKLER. Witnesses JEAN GRUND, CARL GRUND.

